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List:       postfix-users
Subject:    Re: comma in Display Name
From:       Wietse Venema <wietse () porcupine ! org>
Date:       2018-06-22 0:12:15
Message-ID: 41BfC34LgjzJrNp () spike ! porcupine ! org
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Sonic:
> Hello,
> 
> We have a voicemail system that emails the voice messages to the
> users. It uses the Caller ID info in the Display Name area of the
> From: field.
> 
> A problem occurs when the Caller ID contains a comma which causes the
> recipients email server to see the post with multiple from addresses
> and some servers (Google's for one) bounce such posts.
> 
> Instead of a header such as that we now recieve:
> From: SMITH,JOHN <voicemail@example.com>

As you know, the comma is used to separate email addresses, so the
above must be parsed as

    email address: SMITH 
    comma
    email address: JOHN <voicemail@example.com>

And that is not the only problem they will have. There are MANY
characters that have special meaning and that need to be quoted.

That includes the case that the display name contains a single quote
or backslash. Speaking of quotes in names:

Please point these people to http://xkcd.com/327/

> I've requested the phone techs double quote the Display Name area, ie:
> From: "SMITH,JOHN" <voicemail@example.com>
> ... but so far they haven't been able to accomplish this.

Keep bugging them. It is their job to produce syntax that satifies
RFC 5322. That is a public standard. People who write email software
should take the trouble to understand it.

> Turning off use of the Caller ID is one resolution but a non-starter
> as far as management is concerned, it's quite useful.
> 
> Can this somehow be worked around in Postfix, automatically
> double-quoting the Display Name area of the From: field?

Perhaps a header_checks REPLACE action can put Humpty-Dumpty together
again?

	Wietse
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